Personally, autumn is one of my favourite times of the year. Don’t get me wrong, I love the colour and variety available for wedding flowers in spring and summer, but there is something about the deep, rich tones, cosy candlelit venues and sparkly fairy lights which makes autumn wedding flowers some of my most creative. In fact, I love this time of the year so much that I actually got married in October myself!
If you’re planning your luxury wedding flowers for 2022 or 2023, and you’re looking for a wedding florist in Essex, you may be wondering what wedding flowers are available as the days grow shorter and the temperature grows colder.
Autumn brides, keep reading for the ultimate guide to autumnal wedding flowers!
What flowers are available for autumn weddings?
Although the weather is turning cooler and the leaves on the tress are turning golden brown, there is still an abundance of blooms to choose from when it comes to autumn wedding flowers.
Roses
Many types of roses are available throughout the year, so this classic, romantic stem almost always features in my wedding flowers, bridal bouquets and centre pieces… after all, you can’t go wrong with an elegant rose!
Dahlia
One of my favourite flowers, the dahlia, is also widely available in the early autumn, with the last of the blooms available into November. I think that dahlias are the ultimate statement flower – available in many different sizes, shapes and colours, there is a dahlia to suit any wedding flowers theme!
Thistles
With their their striking electric blue colour and unusual shape, thistles are an ideal filler flower for autumn and winter weddings. Combined with rich jewel tones or white and green shades, these little bolts of blue look fantastic in a wide array of colour schemes.
Trailing amaranthus
Simply perfect for wild, unstructured shapes, trailing amaranthus has a velvety texture and has become super popular in recent years. Ideal for putting in larger bouquets or even forming part of larger installations such as arches and columns, this deep red trailing bloom is autumn personified when it comes to wedding flowers!
Chocolate cosmos
Anything with chocolate in its name has got to be good, right? These deep red-brown blooms provide a wild pop of colour (and also have a slightly chocolaty / vanilla scent to them!). Chocolate cosmos are a great at floating a little higher in a bridal bouquet, catching the breeze as your walk down the aisle, and look absolutely gorgeous when paired with other deep shades such as a dark pink rose.
Carnations
The classic carnation is having a bit of a wedding flowers revival in recent years. Traditionally used for button holes, carnations went out of favour not so long ago… however their kaleidoscope of colours and their frilly petals are coming back, and I think they make great additions to wedding flowers when teamed with lots of other blooms. I particularly love the caramel coloured varieties – perfect for an autumnal colour scheme!
Foliage
I love including lots of green foliage in my wedding flowers – and thankfully throughout autumn, foliage is in abundance. This time of the year you can also get your hands on lots of different shades of foliage, from deep, almost maroon leaves through to silvery eucalyptus. The use of foliage in my wedding flowers helps to create texture and interest.
Berries
Combine berries with foliage and florals and you’ve got an amazingly textured bouquet. Wedding flowers should have movement, and I love the unusual shapes that the addition of berries can bring to a floral creation.
Why don’t you use certain flowers in autumn / winter?
As an Essex wedding florist based in the South East of England, I only ever work with seasonal flowers… I won’t source peonies in December purely because it’s likely that they have been grown using intensive methods which simply aren’t sustainable for the environment.
During the spring and summer months I source as many British and locally grown flowers as I possibly can – however from October onwards the variety of British blooms tends to reduce somewhat, mainly thanks to the unpredictable British weather! At this time of the year, I will turn to Dutch grown flowers which are sourced from Holland – although this method is not the most sustainable form of floristry (due to the way some of the flowers are grown and the miles they travel to get to the UK), at this time of the year sometimes it is the only option sadly.
What about dried flowers for autumn weddings?
Being a fresh flower wedding florist, I always opt for fresh flowers in my wedding arrangements. However there has certainly been a surge in popularity for dried wedding flowers, and I do think they look beautiful for autumn weddings. I enjoy teaming dried and fresh flowers together, particularly in autumnal bridal bouquets which I think can really create some amazing different textures!
To find out about my wedding flowers and enquire about Essex wedding floristry services, click here – I’d love to set up a consultation to discuss how I could help!
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